Journalists have developed the bad habit of reporting on sensitive issues in an irresponsible manner and without any due diligence. This irresponsible attitude has cost a journalist his job with New Indian Express. Others deserve a worse fate

Wrong reporting by New Indian Express about the amusement park sector

Pramod Thomas is not a rookie journalist. Instead, he is the Principal Correspondent-Business of The New Indian Express, a reputed news paper.

He wrote an article titled “Amusement parks fail to amuse promoters as footfall declines” in which he claimed that the amusement parks sector is “going through a rough patch with foot falls declining as much as 30 per cent in the current season (September-April)”. He also claimed that the growth, which was projected to be at 10-20 per cent for the next four years, may be clipped due to the slowdown.

A person named Shalimar of Silver Storm Water Theme Park was quoted as saying that “After November 8, there was a block created in the minds of people preventing them from spending for activities other than essential ones” and that this has affected the amusement park industry in the country”.

Thereafter, the following quote was attributed to Arun Chittilappilly, MD of Wonderla Holidays:

“Factors such as big film releases and even cricket matches will affect footfalls in amusement parks in the country. Demonetisation was another reason which affected the sector as people were reluctant to spend. We hope that with the latest investment on existing parks, more people will come into our parks”.

The shocking aspect is that the journalist had never spoken to Arun Chittilappilly and so the so-called quote was a figment of his imagination.

Arun Chittilappilly confronts journalist

Understandably, Arun Chittilappilly was enraged that a quote was attributed to him even though he had never been interviewed.

This is especially so because Wonderla Holidays is listed on the stock exchanges and adverse news emanating from the promoter can send the stock price plunging and cause incalculable loss to investors.

What about journalists who mischievously seek to fan communal tension?

While the above episode appears to be somewhat frivolous and inconsequential, the episode of wrong reporting by Sagarika Ghose and Pallavi Ghosh has sinister consequences because it appears to be a deliberate attempt to fan communal tension.

Pallavi Ghosh, the senior editor of CNN News 18, claimed that there was a “shocking story” from the UP about a woman who was “gang raped for eating beef”.

The baffling aspect is that instead of deleting the tweet and issuing a graceful apology, Pallavi Ghosh has stayed defiant and instead demanded that the police should take action against those who exposed her bogus news.

@HarryP2424@Uppolice And how's that ? @Uppolice if you say it didn't happen I will accept it but he abuses on twitter is something u shldnt endorse either

Prima facie, if Pramod Thomas lost his job with New Indian Express for careless reporting, there is no reason why Pallavi Ghosh, Sagarika Ghose and others should not meet the same fate because their carelessness and irresponsible attitude has far more sinister consequences!

What do you think could be the impact of the severe heat on the industry? I think people have started avoiding going out in the heat given how unbearable it has become which could result in lower footfalls across all amusement parks.

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